Kite Class
Originally a local patrol ship, the Kite was considered obsolete in the 2250s. Whilst new technology lead to her reintroduction in the mid-2270s, she is gradually being replaced by the new and deadly Preax Class. She is perhaps best well known as the progenitor of the famous E12 B'Rel (Bird of Prey) Class. Development The story of the Kite Class began in the 2210s, with the Romulan Star Navy introducing her as an inexpensive, very short ranged patrol ship to guard systems from marauding Klingon incursions and to perform policing duties inside the Star Empire. She was an unremarkable vessel, mounting a simple Cohesive Fused Deuterium Irradiation Cannon as her sole armament and being propelled by a basic fusion reactor, giving enough power for a very basic Cloaking Device. It was this device that lead to several ships of the class being transferred to the Klingon Defence Force in 2250 as part of a technology exchange. Whilst the main results this exchange were the acquisition of Cloaking Technology by the Klingon Empire and the first M/AM powered warships entering service with the Romulan Star Navy, the design of the Kite did pique the interest of Klingon Starship designers, leading to the introduction of the famous (or infamous) E12 B'Rel (Bird of Prey) Class. In 2275 Romulan engineers produced a working, reliable M/AM powered warp drive. Priority was given initially to refitting the Cricket Class Destroyer, resulting in the War Bird Class of 2278. Once this programme neared completion, all effort ways turned to introducing new, powerful, M/AM powered designs. The first of these designs was a revived and updated version of the 2269 Frigate design. An unexpected side effect of M/AM research was that the technology designed for plasma flow to warp nacelles could also be employed to refine and perfect a lighter, less power hungry version of the Plasma Torpedo. Previously, plasma flow had been too inefficient to make a reduced power version viable, but now a torpedo with approximately 1/3rd the yield and power requirements of the standard Plasma Torpedo and capable of being charged in just over half the time. Whilst less efficient overall than the existing Plasma Torpedo, this new Light Plasma Torpedo did allow a weapon of significant power to be fitted to smaller and lighter vessels. In this role, the new Type L Plasma Torpedo Tube came to replace the old CFDIC as the weapon of choice on light Romulan designs. As part of the testing of the new weapon, several obsolete Kite Class ships were stripped of their CFDICs and fitted with Type L Plasma Torpedo Tube. Although a successful test rig, little thought was given to using these ships in active service. As tensions rose however, particularly along the Gorn frontier, the RSN searched for any available space frames to refit for combat use. This programme lead to a complete refit of the Kite in 2285. She was fitted out with M/AM powered warp drive, a much more modern and sophisticated Cloaking Device, and with the resulting efficiency savings, enough power was found to fit a Medium Plasma Torpedo Tube. These changes transformed the Kite from a lowly system patrol craft into a fast, stealthy and powerful first strike weapon. Embodying the ethos of earlier warships such as the Cricket Class, the Kite became the smallest warship in service with the Romulan Star Navy. Operational History First blood for the Kite came in the Organian Conflict, with lone Kites lashing out at unprotected Federation convoys and other targets of opportunity. As the war progressed, all powers began to protect strategic assets much more closely. This limited the targets available to lone Kites, and although some success was found with the adoption of wolfpack tactics (similar to those used by the Klingon Empire with her B'Rels), the "happy times" of early 2286 were never repeated. During the War of Pacification, Kites struggled against the well-armed and armoured warships of the Interstellar Concordium, and soon the RSN were searching for a replacement. This replacement came in 2290 in the form of the ultra-modern and deadly Preax Class. The Kite however remained in service throughout the General War, as insufficient numbers of Preax Class ships had entered service before the outbreak of hostilities. Apocrypha After her involvement in the Praxis Incident of 2293 was revealed, the Romulan Star Empire began to once again withdraw behind her borders, withdrawing from galactic affairs again all together in the aftermath of the Tomed Incident in 2311. Even before this time, Romulan tactics had begun to turn away from fleet engagements and back to single "lone wolf" warships, now of a gargantuan size dwarfing the Crickets and Capsize Classes of old. The Kite was granted a reprieve from replacement by the General War, but by 2300 her day had passed, and she had been entirely replaced as a light warship by the Preax Class by 2305. Specifications * Class: 'Escort * 'Hull Type Designation: '''REKC * '''Length: 92m * Crew: 17 * Warp Nacelles: '''1 * '''Maximum Sublight Speed: 4450 k/s (44.5 Mk/s) * Cruise Warp Factor Speed: wf 7.8 * Safe Maximum Warp Factor Speed: wf 9.4 * Hull Rating: '140 HSF * 'Shield Rating: 150 FSP * Sensor Rating: 1000 SRU * Armament and Equipment: ** Primary *** None ** Secondary *** 1 × Type M Plasma Torpedo Tube ** Heavy *** None ** Advanced *** None ** Equipment *** Tractor Beam Emitter *** Romulan-Type Cloaking Device *** Probes Ships in Service (2292) RSE Kite RSE Devaramae RSE Daerae RSE Redhawk RSE Demam RSE Deola RSE Teleth RSE Melaro RSE Valaes RSE Dessar RSE Moraeraea RSE Infelix RSE Haliantivs RSE Hedelivs RSE Feretrvm RSE Lvlasal RSE Maenia RSE Accvsator RSE Mirosenes RSE Neca RSE Sekal RSE Sepav RSE Tvnalan RSE Taeraell RSE Taeraeltex RSE Pallivm RSE Texaeraen RSE Vaeriseth RSE Visen RSE Macellarivs RSE Veshian RSE Nerris RSE Pallia RSE Pivla RSE Xithvs RSE Scercvs RSE Scimemivs RSE Senisivs RSE Septilo RSE Setran RSE Sibalivs RSE Stralatian RSE Seentaer RSE Seten RSE Sevaer RSE Tatvs RSE Tivleivs RSE Tribivs RSE Telassan RSE Valaevs Category:Romulan Vessels Category:Escorts